After the Battle: A Longbottom Year
by flowerchild33
Summary: Neville survives and life continues in ways he never dreamed. Lemon warning.
1. After the Battle

**Hi everyone! This is not a new story. This is a slight rewrite of the first story I ever wrote. This was originally published on 8/30/15. A month ago I reached the one year anniversary of my fan fiction writing and began to contemplate possibly 'fixing' some of my early stories. After a month of thinking about it, I decided to go ahead, starting at my oldest story and working forward. I've learned a lot in the last year and the mistakes bothered me. I still felt the plot was decent, but I've learned about 'walls of text', dialogue and chaptering. Originally this story was one long block, posted in a singular massive chapter. Although there are a few plot points I could have corrected here, I chose not to. Instead I fixed formatting, dialogue and the like. The dialogue here could have been better, except for the tense I phrased most of the story in. Correcting that though would be a major rewrite. I've also divided this into five chapters. Although they are fairly short, I divided where I felt it was logical, but will be posting them all immediately. One major issue I noticed here that I am not fixing is that I aged Luna up by a year. This meant she took her NEWTs at the same time as Neville. Please accept this as a bit of creative license. I wouldn't do it now, but I was still learning. This effort is mainly for my own satisfaction, but I hope everyone enjoys a look back on where I began. Thanks to all my regular readers and reviewers.**

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Chapter 1 – After the Battle

The Battle of Hogwarts was over and a new day was dawning in many ways. Of course, the survivors who were strewn through the halls of the damaged castle weren't yet aware of the title this singular victory would soon gain. One survivor in particular was so exhausted in every way possible that his brain was functioning on only the most basic autonomic level. Neville slowly maneuvered his way back to the Gryffindor common room. His route was circuitous, as he often had to take detours. The shortest path was up the main stairs, but a large chunk of the third level was missing and he had no broom to fly across. Of course, Neville avoided using a broom even when he was at his most alert. So he detoured around Professor Flitwick's office and was only two hallways away when a pile of destroyed armor blocked his path. Normally he could have blasted it or even maybe levitated it if he tried hard, but he had nothing left in him so he turned right and continued around a different corridor.

Finally, after a fifteen minute walk that should have taken five, he reached the portrait of the fat lady that guarded the Gryffindor tower. The portrait hung at an angle and a large corner of the frame was missing. The fat lady had retreated elsewhere. This was good though, as Neville had no idea what the current password was. Pushing aside the picture, Neville stumbled into the common room and immediately stepped on something. No, correct that, someone. He looked down. It was Seamus' baby brother. Liam was only a first year, what was he doing here? He should have been evacuated long ago. Judging by the grunt he gave when Neville stepped on him, he was alive so that was all that counted. As Neville stepped off Liam and surveyed the room he was shocked to find that there was almost no floor space left. While most of those he saw were Gryffindors, he noticed a few Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs as well. There was even a Slytherin, lightly holding Romilda's hand as they slept. Well that was an interesting development. Neville hoped that maybe his old room in the tower would at least have some space left for him and started tiptoeing to the stairs. Halfway there, he looked up and realized that most of the stairs had been blasted from the outside and that there was no way he was going up there. Disgusted, he turned around and tiptoed back out, over Liam and through the portrait hole.

As he reached the hallway, he decided to go left, the opposite direction that he had come from. At this point all he wanted was some space clear enough of debris and people to lay down. As he rounded a corner, he bumped into someone. Looking up, he saw probably the only person who could lift his tired soul at this time. It was Luna. She was covered in dust and had a cut on the side of her eyebrow, but she still looked as beautiful as ever to Neville. On seeing Neville, Luna grabbed him in a hug.

"Thank Merlin you're alive!"

As she stood holding him, Neville wrapped his arms around her as well. Before he could say anything, Luna started sobbing on his shoulder and talking about those she knew were dead and how awful it all was and how she had seen Neville kill Nagini and thought that he had been so brave. As she continued, Neville realized how upset she really was, as he had never seen Luna carry on like that. She was always steady and level headed. Her head may have always been in the clouds, but it was at least level there. Not knowing what else to do, he just held her and rubbed her back. Before he could stop himself, Neville felt silent tears running down his own cheeks. Once they both settled down and Luna was able talk sensibly again, she explained that she was still trying to find a route to the Ravenclaw common room, but had so far failed. Neville told her that it probably wasn't worth the effort if Ravenclaw was as crowded as Gryffindor and that he was just looking for anywhere to get a couple hours of sleep before the sun was full up.

The tears seemed to have cleared Neville's brain a bit and he saw how exhausted Luna looked. He took her by the hand and started walking down the corridor. Luna was completely spent and followed quietly. Twenty paces later, he peeked into a doorway and found a miraculously empty and relatively intact room. He led Luna in and found that they were in Professor Sinistra's office. Since the professor had resigned when Snape took over as headmaster, the room had been empty for a while. It was crowded with a variety of astronomical equipment, but there was some space in one corner. Looking around, Neville pulled a large cover off something that looked like a cross between a telescope, a watch and a sneakoscope. The cover was blue velvet and at least three meters square. He led Luna to the corner, sat her down, then sat down himself and pulled the velvet cover around them.

As he covered them, Neville realized his arm was around Luna and began moving it when she grabbed his hand to stop him. Luna seemed to have come to finally and reached up and put her hand on Neville's cheek. Then she started kissing him. As tired as he was, Neville was immediately alert. Everything else faded around him as he focused on Luna and only Luna. The kiss was mutual and urgent and, as they continued, Neville felt a hand caressing his chest. Realizing this could quickly get out of hand and that neither of them was mentally prepared to go further, he pulled himself out of the kiss and away from Luna. She looked stunned and a bit hurt until Neville replied that she was amazing, but that they both needed rest. Luna yawned right then and seemed to agree as she settled herself back to the floor. Neville laid down next to her, careful to give her space. But space wasn't what Luna wanted, and she crawled over and put her head on his chest. Neville put his arm around her and his last thought before sleep claimed him was that he had no right to feel this happy after everything that had happened in the past few hours.

Luna woke before Neville and was a bit surprised at first to find where she was, but then remembered everything that had happened. Seeing that Neville was still asleep, she settled herself back down on his chest, content to feel each breath as his chest would rise and fall. It wasn't long though before the rest of the castle began to awaken and the sounds in the hall caused Neville to stir. He woke with a yawn, opened his eyes and smiled at the beautiful face looking at him. This was definitely something he could get used to. Reaching into his robe, he drew out his wand, pointed it at his mouth and said 'mintascum'. A fresh minty foam materialized in his mouth and he smiled at Luna. She took the hint and pulled out her wand to do the same. As soon as she finished, Neville leaned over and started kissing her with fresh energy. She opened her mouth and soon their tongues were entwined. They were both quickly losing control when a shout in the hallway brought them back to reality. With a resigned sigh, Neville disentangled himself and stood up, offering Luna a hand as well.

Before they began to cross the room, Neville pulled Luna in front of him and professed that he was in love with her. They had started dating officially at the start of the school year, but with Neville's constant punishments from the Carrows, their opportunities to spend time together had been limited. Then Luna had been removed by the Death Eaters and held hostage at Malfoy Manor and Neville had feared the worst. When she had reappeared for the battle, he was overjoyed but had not been able to express his feelings. It was only after realizing that he may have lost her that he realized how much she meant to him. As he finished what he had to say, Luna started kissing him again. That was all the answer Neville needed and they were once again lost in each other. Their kiss lasted until Seamus peeked into the office and found them. In true Seamus fashion, he whooped and cheered and then informed them that he had been sent to find everyone for breakfast.

Unwilling as he was to break off what was starting in with Luna right then, Neville realized that he was hungry and that there was going to be a lot of work to be done. They made their way down to the Great Hall and saw that the injured had all been moved out and two tables had been repaired. Everyone sat where they wished and Professor McGonagall stood up to say some brief words. She looked twenty years older than she had yesterday and it seemed as if the breeze blowing in through the broken windows might carry her off, but her voice was strong and sure. She held a minute of silence for all who had been lost. Next, she announced that the school year was complete and everyone would be returning home later that day. Fifth years who had yet to take their OWLs would have them delayed until the first of August. Practice sessions would be held at the Ministry at times to be decided. This would allow everyone a chance to heal and study and would also avoid any infractions in the rules against underage magic use outside of school. OWL results would be presented one week before the start of school on September 1st. Seventh years would also take their NEWTs on the first of August. Students who had missed any part of their last year due to recent events would be given a chance to return for a year or to go ahead and take NEWTs on time. Consideration would be given for missed classes dependent upon the reasons. As she finished announcements, house elves arrived carrying platters from the kitchen. Apparently some of the damage had affected the usual instant delivery system through the floor of the Great Hall. Despite this, the food was sumptuous. It seemed that house elves must not need sleep the same as humans did, as they must have been preparing since the end of the battle.

Soon breakfast was complete and each head of house accompanied the remaining students to their dormitories to retrieve what personal items they could from the rubble. After that, each head would establish portkeys to return everyone to a waystation at platform 9 3/4. From there, all students could apparate or find other means to return home. Neville and Luna left the Great Hall hand in hand, which caused a few whispers and more than a few smiles. They stopped outside as they each were heading in opposite directions and Neville promised that he would come visit Luna in a couple days. They sealed their good bye with a long kiss that was only broken when Professor McGonagall cleared her throat and asked Neville if he was ready to go. As he turned to join the Gryffindors, Neville noticed a small smile on the professor's face.


	2. Moving On

Chapter 2 – Moving On

Two months later

Neville woke early on August 1st. It was NEWT day. He had been studying throughout the summer and had spent a good deal of time with Luna, Harry, Hermione, Ginny and Ron. Thanks to Hermione and Luna, they were actually prepared and he wasn't dreading the NEWTs as much as he once thought he might. He was also in love and had spent as much free time with Luna as possible over the last couple of months. It was hard to dread something like tests when you had recently survived a monumental battle and found love all in a short span of time. He dressed quickly and went out to the kitchen, where Gran had prepared him a large breakfast to fuel him for the day. Gran inquired if he was going to the tests with anyone. He knew specifically that she was wondering if he was going to pick up Luna on the way. Over the past months, she had become a frequent visitor and Gran even admitted that the girl baffled her to no end at times, but that she was hard not to like. Gran also seemed touched to watch love bloom and often shared stories about her own 'courting' many years earlier. With breakfast complete, Neville placed a kiss on Gran's cheek and apparated himself to the Ministry testing center.

The day was long and exhausting. These were definitely Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Tests. At lunchtime, they were all served a high protein meal that Neville suspected may have been laced with a bit of Pepper Up Powder. He saw Luna and the others across the hall, but made a point to not socialize. Just seeing Luna at a distance was distracting enough. Eventually the day ended and a celebratory dinner was served. Results would be delivered after. With nothing left to be done, Neville went and found his friends and they settled down to eat together. Everyone was in good spirits, although Harry was a bit down. He was missing Ginny. She had practiced with them during the summer, but still had another year of school. Luna sat next to Neville and kept running her foot up his leg. With that distraction, some elf made wine, good food and friends, the time passed quickly and soon the head examiner was calling the hall to order. Each person was now to be called into a private room and presented with their results.

Neville waited an interminable amount of time before being called. Eventually though he was standing in front of a tiny old witch named Eugenie. The actual results presentation was a bit anti-climactic and none too surprising. Neville took top scores in Herbology (no surprise), had a high score in DADA and took two barely passing scores in Charms and Potions. It was better than he could have hoped, and he resolved to buy Hermione and Luna each a box of chocolate, although Luna's would maybe be a bit bigger. He emerged from his room at the same time Luna left one across the hall. She ran to him and they immediately traded scores. She had passed everything with good to high scores of course, she was Ravenclaw after all. They celebrated with a long kiss right in the middle of the exam hallway. When they finally separated, Neville looked to the side and realized Eugenie was watching them with a dreamy far off stare and smile. Laughing to himself, he pulled Luna into the main hall where Hermione was waiting. She of course passed everything with high scores and was well on her way to being a Healer. Harry was still getting his results and Ron was still waiting to be called, so Neville told Hermione to pass along the news to the others and then he grabbed Luna's hand and apparated home.

Gran was waiting for them and was obviously not surprised to see Luna. She was thrilled with Neville's scores and pulled out a stashed bottle of firewhisky. Neville was now officially a full fledged adult wizard so it seemed that a celebration was in order. After her second shot of the whisky, Gran was ready for bed and wished them a good night. The whisky had only relaxed Neville and he was not ready to end the evening. Luna suggested they go watch for shooting stars and Neville knew the perfect spot down by a creek on the corner of the Longbottom property. They gathered up a blanket and walked out of the house hand in hand.

The walk was short and soon they were laying on the blanket with the whole beautiful summer night sky stretched out above them. Luna was always better at astronomy and could name each constellation. Venus was also visible, which she insisted was a portent of love. As she said this, her hand gripped Neville's tighter and he took the hint. He rolled on his side and started kissing her. She responded ardently and before long their hands started exploring everywhere. Suddenly Luna sat up and yanked her robe over her head. She was so beautiful thought Neville. He soon followed her example and they were clad in only their underclothes. As they resumed kissing, their hands kept roaming and Neville began working on her bra. He kept telling her to just let him know when to stop, but she just laughed at him. Soon she was naked and Neville was able to take in her full beauty. He didn't have long to admire, as she started to kiss his chest. He fondled her breasts and marveled at how lucky he was.

By this point, he was fully erect and beginning to ache with desire. He started kissing her breasts and his hand travelled down and started exploring. Luna groaned and urged him on. She was soaking down there. Neville had heard some of the other guys talking and knew this was a good sign. He decided to explore more and plunged two fingers into his beautiful woman. Luna squealed and at first he thought he hurt her, but then she insisted he keep going and started to rock back and forth more. He kept suckling her breasts and alternated between fingering her clit and pushing his fingers in and out of her. Suddenly she let out a small scream, grabbed him by his hair and spasmed against him. It almost seemed like a seizure, but Neville realized he had brought her to orgasm. He had never done this before and he felt so empowered to satisfy this beautiful woman, but his own needs were getting worse and he was starting to really hurt. It seemed that his shorts must be about to tear as his erection tried to break free.

As Luna finished, she realized the issue and immediately pulled his giant cock out. Now it was her turn to give back and she yanked the shorts off just before taking the pulsing cock in her mouth. She had never done this and never thought she would want to, but now she knew she would do anything for this man. Neville groaned and pushed into her. She gagged a bit and then gained control, alternating between sucking and licking. Suddenly, Neville pulled her off and told her she needed to stop before he blew. Luna realized now was the time. They had gone this far and she wanted all of him. Looking up at Neville, she was almost breathless in her love for him and gasping, she cast a contraception charm and then told him to make her a woman. Neville was amazed that she wanted him so much and rolled her back over. He placed himself above her and, with a final nod of assent from Luna, he entered her. It took every bit of control that he had to not cum right then, but he pushed himself in further before he reached her barrier and stopped. He looked at her face and she was biting her lip. She was already hurting and he didn't want to hurt her more. Before he knew it, Luna thrust her hips upward and squealed as he broke through and was all the way in. Neville waited until she caught her breath and started rocking against him again when the pain had passed some. He took this as his sign to start again and began thrusting deeper and harder, getting ever closer to the cliff he wasn't going to be able to hold off much longer. Then he felt a delightful squeezing all around his cock and, as Luna screamed his name, he came again. The pressure was too much and Neville shot his load straight up into her. The feeling was amazing. He didn't realize, but he also screamed as he kept thrusting more and more into her. She orgasmed again, smaller but still wonderful, and at that point he felt himself finally start to soften and rolled off of her.

They lay there for what seemed forever with the warm summer breeze drying the sweat on their bodies. They whispered words of love and Neville knew that he might be young, but he had found his life partner. He supposed he had known for a while, but tonight he admitted it for the first time. Eventually they realized they should return home. As they stood up, they both realized how much of a mess they were and decided a quick dip in the stream would help. As they ran laughing into the stream, they were both taken aback by how cold it was. They started to clean up quickly, but as they helped each other, their hands started doing more than cleaning. As they stood in the ankle deep water with their tongues together, Neville holding a breast in each hand and Luna with one hand on his cock and the other juggling his balls, they gave in again and collapsed on the muddy bank. As they fell, Luna landed on top and took advantage of her position by immediately settling herself down onto Neville's re-engorged cock. This time felt so much better and she immediately started bouncing herself on it like a flagpole. Meanwhile, Neville groaned and watched her breasts bounce in rhythm. He never wanted this to end, but before long he was shooting another full load just seconds before Luna screamed and growled as she came yet again. By the time they finished, they were covered in mud and even dirtier than before. This time they knew they really needed to move. Gran was asleep, but Luna's father would be waiting to hear her test results. Reluctantly they hauled themselves out of the mud and each cast scourgify on the other. The spell was really better for cleaning around the house and it left their skin smarting a bit, but it did work. They dressed quickly and, with one last kiss, Luna apparated herself home. Once she was gone, Neville felt strangely empty, gathered up the blanket and decided to apparate instead of making the short walk up the hill.


	3. A Change in Plans

Chapter 3 – A Change in Plans

One month later

Neville was leaving work, looking forward to his date with Luna. They had only seen each other twice since the magical night after NEWTs, although they kept both their owls busy with letters back and forth. Neville's scores in Herbology had immediately landed him a job at the Ministry in the Department of Magical Plants and Organisms. He was just a junior assistant, but he loved the job and was learning every day. As great as Professor Sprout had been, in the last month he had learned as much as he would have in a full year of school.

Luna also had interviewed for a couple positions at the Ministry, but had decided against accepting any of them. After the war, a lot of positions were open, but his Luna would never be one to settle into an office. In the meantime, she was working on a couple of inventions that were thankfully better than anything her father ever created. One was almost ready for marketing at Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. Luna's dad had also been ill for several weeks. He had been in St. Mungo's for what looked like a cross between a bad rash, a wolf bite and pneumonia. Everyone suspected he had been experimenting with something illegal, but he refused to say what, which made his healing even more difficult. During his illness, Luna had spent much of her time with him and less with Neville. He didn't hold it against her, but he had missed her. Tonight though she had insisted that she needed to see him and Neville offered to have her come over for dinner.

Gran was away for a month visiting a friend in Spain and Neville had more than just dinner plans. As he apparated home, Neville began thinking of everything he needed to do in the next hour before Luna arrived. He was a decent cook, but he was not fast and he always made a huge mess. The first thing he saw when he arrived home was that the delivery of exotic flowers he had ordered had arrived intact. They were strange looking, but he knew Luna would love them. After arranging the flowers and table, he proceeded to the kitchen and started cooking.

Forty five minutes later, Neville heard a knock and hastened to the door. Luna stood there in a lovely frothy purple dress and looking as beautiful as ever. Forgetting the spatula in his hand, Neville pulled her into his arms and proceeded to whack her on the back of the head with the spatula. Laughing, he pulled away and noticed that Luna was not laughing. He must have really hurt her. He welcomed her into the house and sat her down. She was early and he wasn't quite done, but he was glad to see her and let her know. She smiled a bit and Neville saw a flash of his Luna coming back. Then he heard something sizzle and pop and went running back to the kitchen before dinner burned.

A half hour later and they were sitting down to eat with the candles lit and wine poured. Luna ate and exclaimed over Neville's cooking, but then she fell silent again. At this point he knew something wasn't right and set down his fork. Reaching across the table, he took Luna's chin in his hand and tilted her face up to his eyes. Seeing his concern, Luna started crying. Neville immediately pulled her off her chair and into his lap and insisted she tell him what was wrong. Luna looked into his soft, loving eyes and couldn't contain herself any longer.

"I'm pregnant" She blurted out and then started sobbing more.

Neville was in shock as he sat there holding her. After a couple of minutes he came to his senses and declared his love for her and their child. She didn't deny when he claimed it as his, which he was glad. He had been fairly certain, but it still seemed amazing that this woman would choose him. As she sat on his lap and could finally talk, he asked her about the contraception charm. Luna had been as confused as well, until she talked to Ginny, her best friend. Ginny's theory was that the charm needed to be said precisely and deliberately and that apparently Luna had been too distracted to cast it correctly. After a bit of research, she had found an exact precaution stating specifically that a witch needed to cast the charm well before the heat of the moment took her mind away or it may not be completely effective. Now of course that seemed a bit after the fact.

By this time Luna had calmed down and declared she really was hungry. Neville cast a heat spell over the plates and dinner resumed. They talked a bit about the baby and Luna mentioned she had tried three different potions, but all had been positive. Neville immediately declared that since the next day was Saturday they would go to St. Mungo's to make it official and to make sure all was well. Luna was touched by his acceptance and caring. She knew they were in love, but had wondered if the stress of an early pregnancy would destroy it. Now that it was obvious that Neville was committed, Luna felt better than she had in a week. As soon as dinner finished, Neville sent the dishes off to the kitchen with a flick of his wand. Unfortunately he flicked a bit too hard and the dishes crashed in mid flight making a huge mess.

Neville told Luna to ignore it, then he took her hand and declared his love. As Luna sat smiling at him, the next thing he did took her by complete surprise. Neville dropped to one knee at the table and proposed. He apologized for not having a ring, but promised to remedy that. He continued on with several more declarations of all he loved about her. Eventually Luna leaned forward, put one finger to his lips so he would stop talking, and said yes to his proposal.

After the proposal, Luna insisted on helping clean up. Neville had to admit it went much faster that way and everything ended up much neater. As she closed the last cabinet with a flick of her wand, Neville turned on Gran's old record player. It was set to a slow waltz. It was old fashioned, but seemed perfect as Luna melted into his arms and they began to dance. Several steps in, Luna stopped briefly to cast a shield spell on her feet. Neville laughed. He may not be able to dance, but she didn't care. By the second song, their movements had slowed and they were kissing. Before long Luna was pressed up to a wall while Neville's hands were everywhere with no thought to the musical rhythm. He begged her to stay with him that night and Luna agreed as she turned off the music and asked Neville to show her his bedroom.

Within minutes they were lying next to each other completely naked with no thoughts except immediate pleasure. Neville explored Luna with his fingers briefly, but before long she was begging for more. Concerned for the baby, he tried to desist until she reassured him that all was fine and he entered her with a long slow moan. Soon he was thrusting lightly, still trying to take things easy, but Luna had other ideas as she begged him for more and started thrusting hard in sequence with his thrusts. She came before him, but growled when he tried to slow and stop. Minutes later he started coming and, as she felt him fountain inside her, she came again.

The next morning they awoke drowsily, enjoying waking up together. Luna was surprised at the tent pole holding up the sheets and Neville tried to apologize with a comment about morning wood. Luna had never known that this was a common occurrence, but she was ready to take advantage of it. As Neville started to doze again, she positioned herself and lowered onto his cock. Neville immediately woke and broke into a huge smile as Luna began a slow grind with an escalating moan. Before long she was bouncing and he was grunting. Then they both screamed as each had their own massive orgasm. Neville thought to himself that this was the best way ever to wake up.

Eventually they realized they needed to face the day and Luna took the first shower while Neville started breakfast. He would have preferred they shower together, but agreed with Luna when she pointed out that if they did they probably wouldn't go anywhere soon. By the time Luna arrived in the kitchen, Neville had an omelet prepped and tea steeping. He headed for the shower while Luna finished cooking. They ate quickly and planned the day ahead. Their first stop would be St. Mungo's and then they would have to deliver their news to Luna's father. That was the stop that Neville dreaded the most and he mentally started reviewing defensive spells.

After a quick clean up in the kitchen, they each took some floo powder and travelled to one of the central fires in St. Mungo's arrival hall. Neville knew the hospital well and took Luna by the hand as they made their way to the general wellness ward and checked in. The day was slow and they had arrived early enough that there were only two people ahead of them. Before long, Luna's name was called and, as she started toward the Healer's assistant that was calling her, Neville held back. He wasn't sure if he should go along at this point. Luna grabbed him by the arm and whispered something about them being in this together and the assistant whisked them off to an exam room. As soon as the healer entered, she began with initial questions and it became quite obvious that she had already guessed the reason for their visit. After a few minutes discussion, she pulled out her wand and performed a series of spells over Luna's head, stomach and for some reason, feet. She delivered the news that Luna was quite right and that she was four weeks pregnant. Seeing that Luna was not immediately overjoyed and that Neville was looking a bit green, she reassured them and quickly summoned a chair for each of them to sit and take the news in. The healer informed them that they were not the first young couple in the last months to arrive in the same situation and that they would not be the last. The same thing had happened twenty years before when everyone thought Voldemort had been defeated the first time. It seemed that after escaping certain death, many couples chose to embrace life in this time honored fashion. Next the healer gave Luna basic instructions on caring for herself, what to eat, and admonishing her to rest as much as her body told her to. She then wished them well and ushered them out.

Once they reached the main reception hall, it was time to move on to their next stop. Luna knew it was time to go home. Her father was probably expecting her by now. She often spent nights at Ginny's, but would always be back by the next morning. She may have been an adult, but he still worried and expected a certain consideration while she lived in his house. Although he knew the trip was inevitable, Neville had one more stop to make before visiting Mr. Lovegood. He apparated himself and Luna to the Leaky Cauldron and they made their way to the alleyway that led to Diagon Alley. He didn't tell Luna what his plan was, but she was still in a state of shock. She had known what the news would be, but hearing it from a healer had made it much more real.

Once they stepped into Diagon Alley, Neville led the way to Baubles, Bangles and Jewels. As Luna realized where they were going, she stopped Neville with a questioning look. Neville informed her that when they arrived at her house, she would have a ring on her finger. Luna tried to protest, mainly objecting due to money. Neville was not to be swayed. Everyone who had participated in the battle had received a monetary compensation from the Ministry with amounts varying depending on services rendered to the overall magical community. Having killed Nagini, Neville had received 500 galleons, twice the amount that most of the student fighters received.

Ignoring Luna's continued protests, they went into the shop. Neville informed the sales wizard that he needed an engagement ring immediately. Looking them over, the sales wizard assessed their accounts and quietly led them to a case of smaller, less expensive rings. Although Luna had gone quiet, Neville could see her delight as she looked at the rings. She tried on a couple, but nothing seemed right until Neville spotted a ring that had turned sideways in the lower left corner of the case. It had a complex shape with unusual undulating colors in the gold. He had never seen anything like it and asked to view it. As soon as the ring was placed in front of them, Neville saw Luna's eyes light up and he knew they had found the ring. Now he just hoped he could afford it. The sales wizard also saw the look and was thrilled that this unusual young couple had picked the ring in question. It had been in the case for at least two years, but everyone who viewed it thought it was just too unusual and it kept getting bypassed. As he watched Neville and Luna holding hands with eyes locked on each other, the sales wizard was determined to make a deal that would work for everyone. The ring had originally been 450 galleons, but had been marked down every six months and was now marked at 320. He offered it to Neville for 300 and the deal was done. Neville wrote a draft slip against his account at Gringotts and slipped the ring onto Luna's finger. The sales wizard then did several passes over the ring with his wand and it immediately sized itself down to fit her delicate finger.

With the ring in place, Neville and Luna said good bye to the sales wizard and stepped back out into Diagon Alley. Looking at each other, they knew it was time to take Luna home. Neville gave her a quick kiss and assured her that he loved her. Then they both apparated to the unusual home that Luna shared with her father. As they walked up the path to the house, Neville took Luna's hand and gave it squeeze. Luna proceeded ahead and opened the door, calling 'Daddy' loudly as she did. Xenophilius was working upstairs and immediately came down on hearing Luna enter. As he came off the last step, he saw Neville standing with her and his face changed from joy to questioning. Neville had met him once before and Luna's dad was well aware that Neville was her boyfriend. He had never objected, but he never approved of the relationship either. He personally thought Luna was too young. Maybe in twenty years she could have a boyfriend. After losing his wife years earlier, Luna was all he had and he wasn't willing to lose her as well.

With Mr. Lovegood standing before them, Neville summoned up every bit of bravery that Gryffindor was known for and announced that he and Luna had just become engaged. He thought it was better to start with that bit of news first. Mr. Lovegood didn't say anything at first, but he slowly started to turn a most peculiar shade of fuchsia and then he uttered one word: NO. Neville could feel Luna start trembling and realized that he would have to take the situation in hand. He began an impromptu speech professing his love for Luna and promising to always care for her. By this time Mr. Lovegood just kept repeating NO over and over again, seeming not to hear anything Neville was saying. Finally it was Luna who broke through.

"I'm pregnant."

That stopped Mr. Lovegood's stream of NOs and he just stared, then he seemed to erupt and started bellowing. He ordered them both out of the house and started moving toward them. Scared, Neville immediately cast protego encapsulitum. A variation on the standard shield spell, this encased Mr. Lovegood in a shield bubble that he couldn't break out of. Neville told Luna to go upstairs and collect her stuff, she was going to move in with him immediately. Luna trembled, but proceeded up the stairs while Neville held his wand and kept the focus required to keep the shield bubble intact. Inside it, Mr. Lovegood was raging but he didn't have his wand on him and he wasn't able to break out. Neville took the time to profess his love for Luna again, as well as for their child, but it seemed to make no change in Mr. Lovegood. A few minutes later, Luna arrived back downstairs carrying two bags. Neville took her by his free hand and they twisted on the spot, apparating back to the Longbottom house. As they left, the shield spell broke and Mr. Lovegood was free of the bubble.

Arriving back home, Neville took Luna in his arms. She was still shaking a bit, but was able to talk again. She was distraught over he father's reaction. She had known he would be angry, but the man she just witnessed was someone she had never seen before. Eventually she calmed down enough that Neville was able to take her bags and help her get settled in. The Longbottom house was a decent size and would have plenty of room for them, a growing family and his Gran. There was even a small suite of rooms that was closed off because it wasn't currently needed. The house had been in his family for over a hundred years and was technically his by inheritance upon his coming of age. This reassured Luna that they at least wouldn't be on the street. They may be young and without many resources, but they had each other and a place to call home.

The day's events had tired Luna more than she realized and she allowed Neville to tuck her in for a brief nap after lunch. While she slept, Neville travelled by floo powder to the Ministry and made his way to the Floo Network Control Center. Once there, he applied for a one time connection from his fireplace at home to Mathilda's fireplace in Spain, where Gran was visiting. The long distance connection cost a galleon, but he knew that some news was best not given via owl post. He scheduled the connection for nine in the evening, which would be an hour later at Mathilda's. That should ensure that they would be home. Old ladies did not stay out late. Once the connection request was complete, he returned home and began working in the garden. An hour later, Luna woke looking much better, which reassured Neville. He informed her about the floo connection and although she grimaced a bit, she knew that the news had to be delivered. After additional discussion, they decided to make a trip to the Burrow to visit the Weasleys. Most weekends Ron and Ginny were home, which meant that Harry and Hermione would be there as well. Since Luna had already confided in Ginny, she felt it best that the news be delivered to everyone else so that Ginny could stop covering for them.

After washing up from the garden, Neville took Luna's hand and apparated them to the Burrow. Within seconds of stepping into the garden, Neville saw a flash of red hair come flying by on a broomstick, skid to a stop and jump off. Ginny had arrived. She immediately embraced Luna with a knowing look, then gave Neville a hug as well. He whispered in her ear that they had news for everyone and she smiled. Then Ginny turned and ran into the kitchen, loudly announcing to Mrs. Weasley that Neville and Luna would be staying for dinner. That hadn't been Neville's plan, but it was almost dinnertime and Mrs. Weasley was an excellent cook. He looked at Luna who gave a brief shrug and they continued into the house.

An hour later, they were seated outside, working their way through the many wonderful dishes of food. George and his girlfriend Angelina had appeared for dinner as well which meant that there wasn't enough room in the house for all of them. As dinner finished and conversation picked up, Neville knew it was time. He glanced at Luna and she gave him a brief nod and then to his surprise, she spoke up and announced that she had news for everyone. The table grew suddenly silent. Neville had planned on doing this for her, but it seemed that this was something she needed to do. Luna started with a few unusual comments about the current phase of the moon and the effect it was having on current political events. Everyone looked a bit baffled, but they were used to Luna so they just waited. Suddenly, she switched topic off the moon phase and made the announcement: she and Neville were engaged. Then she held up the ring for everyone to see. The table erupted in cheers from most everyone, although Mrs. Weasley wasn't cheering. She waited a minute and then expressed her opinion that they were still quite young for such a monumental decision. Ron and George rolled their eyes and Luna remained silent. Now it was Neville's turn. He replied to Mrs. Weasley that they may be young, but they were adults and that they were also expecting a baby, so he was quite sure that their decision was the right one.

This news brought the table to a dead silence. Everyone except Ginny looked a bit stunned. George was the first to break the silence with a loud whoop and congratulations. This brought a withering look from his mother and he settled back down. Mr. Weasley was the next to speak up. Given the circumstances, he understood the decision and wished them the best. While he was saying this, Neville noticed he was lightly stroking his wife's arm to calm her down. Mrs. Weasley found her voice again and agreed then that it was for the best. Then she waved her wand and floated dessert out from the kitchen. The rest of the evening passed happily as Neville and Luna's friends embraced their news. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were quieter than usual, but Neville expected that. As Neville was finishing the last of his cake, Hermione brought up the question that everyone was wondering. Had Neville and Luna told their families? This immediately brought tears to Luna's eyes and Neville put his arm around her. He briefly detailed what had happened with Mr. Lovegood and also that his Gran was due to find out shortly.

Once dessert was finished, Neville and Luna prepared to return home for their floo call to Spain. Just before they left, Mrs. Weasley came around the table and gave Luna a hug, reassuring her that Mr. Lovegood would come around, given time to get over the shock. Mr. Weasley also made a comment that maybe he should visit Xenophilius in a couple days to see how he was doing. After a final round of hugs, Neville and Luna apparated back home.

They settled down and waited until the appointed time for their floo connection, then Neville took some powder and stuck his head into the swirling green flames. As the flames whirled, Neville's vision settled in Mathilda's drawing room. Thankfully she and Gran were up late playing mah jongg and saw him immediately. A bit taken aback, Gran made her way to the fire to talk to Neville. He only had a ten minute connection, so Neville realized he had no time to waste. After everything that had happened throughout the day, he no longer had any hesitation and told Gran he had big news that could not wait for an owl. He was engaged and going to be a father. Gran was silent and for a moment and Neville wondered if it was too much for her heart. Then she did the most remarkable thing, she smiled. Her response was that she assumed the second part of his announcement had come before the first, but at least he had picked a good woman. Meanwhile, Mathilda was in the background and immediately exclaimed that he was a man after all and it just took a while to tell. Gran took back over and made one request: that the wedding wait at least three weeks until she returned. Neville chuckled, the timing of the wedding was something they hadn't even started discussing. Realizing the time was short, he also informed Gran that Mr. Lovegood had not taken the news well and that Luna was now living at the Longbottom house. Gran shrugged a bit and reminded Neville that the property was his inheritance anyway. With that, the speed of the flames began to slow and Neville realized their time was almost over. He wished Gran well and said good evening to Mathilda before pulling his head out of the fire. As he settled back into his the living room, he filled Luna in on the conversation and she was visibly relieved that it had gone well. With that final chore complete, they both decided the day was done and to turn in. Of course, sleep was not immediate but eventually they did settle down.


	4. Preparations and a Wedding

Chapter 4 – Preparations and a Wedding

Two weeks later

Neville and Luna arrived at the Weasleys shortly before lunch. It was a beautiful fall day with crisp leaves underfoot, but Neville barely noticed as he took Luna's hand and proceeded up the path. Luna was looking just a bit green, despite the fact that her morning sickness had finally started to abate. She was also starting to show just a tiny bit if she turned just right. They had been busy planning the wedding, which was planned for two weeks time. Gran was due home in a week and that would allow her enough time to settle before the big event. Of course, knowing Gran she wasn't going to settle until everything was perfect and the wedding went off without a hitch. She had kept a steady stream of owls coming every couple of days since Neville's announcement and was surprisingly involved despite being so far away.

Neville's great aunts and uncle were also quite thrilled and Uncle Augie especially seemed to think the same that Mathilda had when Neville announced the news. Apparently getting a woman pregnant was the most auspicious sign of Neville's manhood for certain people. Unfortunately, Luna's father hadn't spoken to them at all and Luna was distraught over the idea that her father would not be present. They had been to the Weasleys for several visits and Luna's mood was obvious to all. Mr. Weasley had finally had enough and had decided that Xenophilius needed a talk, wizard to wizard and father to father. It had taken some time, but Mr. Lovegood was starting to change a bit. He had agreed that he should at least see his daughter and soon to be son-in-law. The Weasleys had offered the Burrow as neutral ground for the meeting and Mrs. Weasley was serving lunch after the meeting. This is what brought Neville and Luna to the Weasley's doorstep on this fine fall day. Neville just hoped that they would still be able to eat after the meeting was over.

As Neville reached to knock on the door, Mrs. Weasley opened it before he could and greeted them enthusiastically with a big hug for each. Pulling away from Luna, she looked her over and smiled when she saw the glow that even the impending meeting could not diminish. She informed Luna that Arthur and Xeno were in the living room and that they should go on. She had told the rest of her family to disappear until lunch, so the Burrow was unusually quiet. With a final nudge to send them to the living room, Mrs. Weasley turned around and returned to the kitchen.

Knowing that he could wait no longer, Neville took Luna's hand again and they walked into the living room. Mr. Lovegood was sitting on the couch discussing something about humdingers, when he turned and saw Luna in the doorway. Her reply of 'hi Daddy' elicited a response no one had expected. Mr. Lovegood jumped off the couch and ran to her. Neville was almost ready to cast a shield spell when Luna and her father embraced and it was quite obvious that Mr. Weasley had done a lot to change Mr. Lovegood's mind. It was only later in the day when Neville and Mr. Weasley were alone that Neville found out that Mr. Weasley had been just as surprised by the response. He had expected a slight warming in Mr. Lovegood's attitude, but apparently seeing Luna for the first time in weeks with the obvious glow of pregnancy had finally done the last work needed to bring him around.

After Luna and her father finished embracing, Neville stretched out a hand to her father and was grateful when he accepted it. The handshake was brief and Mr. Lovegood's jaw still clenched a bit, but this was an improvement at last. They sat down and begin discussions on arrangements for the wedding. Mr. Lovegood agreed he would be there to perform his traditional parental role in the ceremony. At this news, Luna broke down in tears. Once she dried her tears, Mr. Weasley suggested that Luna help Molly finish lunch while he set the table, leaving Neville and Mr. Lovegood alone. Neville was a bit taken aback by this development, but recovered quickly and began to explain to Mr. Lovegood at length about his job, financial status and the home that he had available to offer Luna. Mr. Lovegood remained silent until Neville had finished and then issued his one decree: 'just make my Luna happy'. Neville replied that he would do everything possible to do so and that seemed to satisfy Mr. Lovegood. At this point Mrs. Weasley called everyone to lunch in the garden, where Harry, Ginny, Ron and Hermione were already waiting. Judging by the way the couples were wrapped around each other, Neville was sure more weddings were not far in the future.

Once lunch was finished, Neville and Luna prepared to leave. Luna stepped into the side garden to say goodbye to her father, while Neville pulled Mr. Weasley aside to effusively thank him for his help in bringing the family back together.

Two weeks later

Luna stood in front of the mirror as Gran finished pinning her hair up. Today was the day. She was about to become Mrs. Neville Longbottom. She flushed with joy and looked at herself in the mirror. She wore a powder blue dress with a scoop neck and lace on the sleeves. Blue was the traditional color for witches to wear to bring fruitfulness to their marriage. She smiled as she pressed the dress into her abdomen and noticed the slight signs that her fruit was already blooming. Gran soon finished her hair, gently upswept and held in place by the pearl comb that was once her mother's and grandmother's. She gave Gran a hug and proceeded out to the garden where the wedding tent was setup and over a hundred guests were waiting.

Luna walked down the aisle, with her eyes on only Neville. He looked so handsome in dark blue robes with a modern tailored cut. He was grinning like a fool and she had a hard time not running straight into his arms. She reached the front and Uncle Augie beamed at her. He was certified to perform ceremonies, although he hadn't performed any in years. He'd reinstated his certification just for the occasion and smiled openly at the young couple before him. He waved his wand and incanted to begin the ceremony. Everything said and done here was a binding lifetime magical contract. Luna and Neville had prepared their own unique vows. She vowed to support him in good and bad, illness and health and to accept him unconditionally, even when he was covered in dragon fertilizer and stinksap. In turn, Neville promised to support her in good and bad, illness and health and to accept her wholly, irregardless of common sense or opinion. Next, Mr. Lovegood and Gran stepped forward to perform the parental blessings for each of them. Gran was first, placing her wand on each of them as she gave them her blessing, wishing years of joy, adventure, happiness and tolerance. Mr. Lovegood was next. He also placed his wand on each of their heads. He didn't smile like Gran, but he performed admirably, wishing them health and happiness. As he finished, he finally gave Luna a small smile and briefly put his hand on Neville's shoulder. Neville was shocked, but thrilled. Next, they presented their rings to Uncle Augie, who wove a spell of binding over them and then handed Luna's to Neville. Neville placed it on her finger and the ring emitted a rosy glow for a few seconds. Luna then took Neville's ring and placed it on his finger, where it glowed a light green briefly. With this complete, Uncle Augie made the official announcement of Mr. and Mrs. Longbottom and then in a giddy voice told Neville to 'get on with it boy, kiss your girl', which brought enthusiastic laughter and applause. Neville happily embraced Luna and kissed her with a kiss that might have lasted a few seconds or a few years. After they broke apart, they ran up the aisle between all their guests. All wands were out and waving enthusiastically. Quite a few sprouted bubbles in varying colors, some emitted smoke rings, a few produced showers of birdseed and a few others produced birds which promptly started to eat the seed. Neville's twin great aunts, Madge and Marge, stole the show though. They stood at the back, on opposite sides of the aisle and each produced a fountain of butterflies that flew and formed an arch for the couple to walk under.

The wedding reception was amazing. Gran had insisted that this was her only grandson's only wedding and no expense was to be spared. Mr. Lovegood contributed a small amount, but the Quibbler was not exactly a huge profit generator. A young band that Luna was fond of, the Garden Trolls, performed their unique blend of rock, polka and opera. Trays of succulent food kept refilling automatically and elf made wine flowed from fountains at each of the four corners of the tent. Neville and Luna danced with almost everyone. As the evening wrapped, Neville's only concern was how tired he felt and if he would have any strength for his honeymoon night.

When the clock struck ten, Gran had one more surprise. A flying chariot pulled by two hippogryphs landed outside the tent, ready to take the couple to their vacation cottage on the coast of the Isle of Man. Neville and Luna climbed in, waving to their guests, while Gran whisked their luggage onto the back of the chariot and they took off. The flight was truly magical, as they felt no wind or cold and arrived at their destination a half hour later. The confines of the chariot didn't leave much room, but Neville and Luna snogged the whole way there.

Upon landing, Luna sent their luggage flying into the cottage. With this done, Neville swept her into his arms and carried her across the threshold. As he set her down, they surveyed small cottage. It was a summer vacation home belonging to a friend Mr. Lovegood's. It was now fall, so the home was unoccupied and had been offered as a quiet retreat. It had three small rooms, but included all the amenities they needed. As Neville looked around, he couldn't contain a yawn. Seeing this, Luna went to her suitcase and pulled out a small potion bottle. Neville looked at the label and smiled. It was Vigormatis, a potion guaranteed to reinvigorate any tired soul. Luna proceeded to inform Neville that she expected him at top form and uncorked the bottle. He took a deep swig and she took the rest. He wondered briefly about the baby, but figured Luna knew what she was doing.

Soon any thoughts except Luna were driven from his mind as he was suddenly awake and she was in his arms. She waved her wand and her beautiful dress flew off and folded itself on the sofa. Neville took in the beautiful woman before him and a tear rolled down his cheek as he accepted the fact that she was all his. Luna leaned forward, kissing the tear off his cheek, and then working her kisses down his neck. The next flick of her wand took Neville's robe off and to the sofa to join her dress and she immediately started exploring his lightly muscled chest. Very shortly, she was nibbling on Neville's nipples as his hands played with her breasts. Luna pushed him toward the bedroom and they quickly removed the last of their clothes. Luna couldn't take the foreplay any longer, and fell back on the bed, legs wide. She begged Neville to ravish her immediately. Not used to saying no to a lady, Neville fell onto her and immediately slipped in. He thrust into her a few times while she panted and moaned and then she screamed that she needed him deeper and put her legs on his shoulders. Neville almost lost it then, he was so far in his beautiful woman. He pounded her with little thought except the need to relieve the unbelievable pressure in his balls. Luna screamed his name so loud that Neville thought the whole island must have heard, but then any concerns he had flew out of his head and he let loose a huge stream of love into Luna. She had been coming down from her first orgasm, but on feeling Neville cum, she also came again and the bed slammed to the wall with the force of their mutual pleasure.

Briefly spent, Neville rolled off of her to catch his breath. Luna crawled over onto his chest and said 'thank you husband'. Before long, she had crawled further up and was kissing him and he was getting hard again. Just as he was ready to start over, Luna excused herself to the bathroom with apologies. Neville groaned and got up to check the view out the window. The cottage was truly beautiful, set on a low cliff above a bay. He heard Luna come back in the room and turned around to find her bent over, sifting through her suitcase looking for something. Her beautiful creamy behind was in the air and Neville's manhood stood at full attention. Suddenly he was seized with a thought. He and Luna had been making love regularly for a month, but he had never taken her from behind. Sneaking up behind her, he grabbed her waist and aimed his cock at her pussy. He entered her quickly and groaned at the new wonderful feeling. Luna was surprised and gasped at first, then she exclaimed 'Oh Neville!'. This was a completely new and amazing position. She thought her head would explode. Leaving her impaled from behind, Neville maneuvered her back to the bed so that she would have something to lean on. Then he began pounding into her. Soon each thrust brought a scream from Luna and she orgasmed more times than she thought possible. Before long, Neville let loose with another huge explosion and they collapsed together on the bed. This time they were both completely spent and crawled up into the bed and slept.

A few hours later, Neville woke with the first rays of the morning sun shining through the window. He was hard, harder than he had ever been in the morning. He looked at his beautiful wife and couldn't contain himself. Reaching down, he plunged a finger into her and found that she was still moist from the night before. He rolled over onto her and she let out low mumble. He slowly entered her and began short, slow thrusts. Luna was suddenly awake and smiling as she began to assist him. Neville used every ounce of willpower to hold himself off and let Luna warm up from her abrupt awakening. He didn't have to wait long, as Luna wrapped her legs around him and screamed at him to finish it. Neville grabbed her bottom and did just that, with both of them coming together in a bed shaking climax. Afterwards, Neville slipped out of her and they dozed with their legs entwined and his flaccid cock laying on her thigh.

Neville woke an hour or so later and slowly disentangled himself and made his way to the bathroom. His absence woke Luna and she followed him to the bathroom. They decided to clean up before breakfast and climbed into the shower together. Neville went first, lathering Luna completely, but paying careful attention to her lower section. Before long, she was moaning and pushing herself into his fingers. A few minutes later, she came all over his hand and Neville had to hold her against the wall to prevent her from slipping. Then Luna informed him it was her turn and began to lather him. When she reached his cock, it was semi-hard and she wrapped her lubricated hand around it and started to pump him. Neville brought her head up and started kissing her, pushing his tongue all the way into her as Luna kept working him with her hand. Before long, he lost it and sprayed cum all over Luna and the shower wall. Eventually they managed to get cleaned up and left the shower, mainly driven by hunger and a need to fuel their appetites. The last month before the wedding had been wonderful after Luna moved in with Neville. He hadn't thought anything could be better, but now he realized that a honeymoon was something special indeed.


	5. A New Life

Chapter 5 – A New Life

Six months later

Neville finished breakfast, cleaned up and went to say goodbye to Luna on his way to work. This day was the first for him in his new position at the Department of Magical Plants and Organisms. Rather than work up from junior assistant to assistant, he had taken a side route into a secondary department. He was now working in the experimental branch of the department, working with exotic species to discover new uses, primarily medicines. The department was recently formed and included a cross section of specialties, including a healer and a peculiar wizard named Dokes who had previously worked as an Unspeakable in the Department of Mysteries. The group had attended a brief introductory session with the head of the entire Department of Magical Plants and Organisms, but today would be the first day they would begin to work together. There were just five of them for now and no one really had much of an idea of how they would proceed. Each day would be one not only of discoveries, but of outlining processes to be used for years to come. Neville was excited and just a bit intimidated. Luna wished him well, blew him a kiss and then drifted out of the living room on her way to her workshop in a small converted shed on the back of the Longbottom property.

She was obviously distracted, but Neville just chuckled. His Luna was unique to say the least and he had come to embrace all aspects of her mercurial behavior in the first months of the marriage. She was now eight months pregnant and looking more radiant than ever. Her first marketable invention was a mask that would enhance the sight, smell and sound of anything within fifty feet of the wearer. It had started as a small offshoot of her work researching wrackspurts and snordungs. Neither of these were yet proven to exist, but Luna's mask was finding uses in all manner of explorations, from deep water to caves, tombs and jungles. It was currently marketed exclusively at Weasley's Wizard Wheezes and each cost 120 galleons. Although Fred and George were sworn to secrecy, they had informed Luna that the Department of Mysteries had immediately purchased the first twenty that were available. She was now working on something else that Neville barely understood. It had something to do with capturing the essence of a cloud. Neville would listen to her happily when she was excited about the progress, but was the first to shrug his shoulders when asked to explain it to anyone else.

Between their two jobs they were doing well financially and both of them had never been happier. They had also started to redecorate the house in subtle ways, with the first focus being the new nursery for their soon to arrive daughter. Neville hadn't wanted to know what they were having, but several months ago during a discussion on the design of the nursery during dinner, Luna had promptly declared that she wanted the room to be yellow for her daughter. Upon seeing Neville's stunned expression, Luna had replied 'well you know she's a girl of course?'. Neville had no idea how Luna knew. No healer had told them, it was just something that seemed obvious to her. He guessed that must be part of a witch's power. Since they had started redecorating, Gran had declared that she had been quite tired with her old room for a while and was going to move into the unused suite of rooms on the west side of the house. Neville's first instinct was to object. He didn't want to kick Gran out after everything she had done for him. She quickly absolved him of any guilt as she whole heartedly began to turn the suite into her own small apartment and was obviously enjoying the decorating.

In another happy turn of events, Luna's dad had also become a frequent visitor, usually having dinner with them once or twice a week. Over the past months he had warmed up to his son-in-law a bit and often dragged Neville into long, complex discussions that usually left Neville more than puzzled. Gran laughed him off and Luna was happy to have her dad back in her life, so Neville developed a pattern of nods and nonsensical basic answers that seemed to please Mr. Lovegood. In total, life was quite content at the Longbottom home and Neville found it hard to believe that a year ago he had been fighting for his life.

The only downside currently was that in the last several months, as Luna grew in size, their loving also decreased to a trickle. Neville only wanted the best for their baby, but recently he had started to retreat to the bathroom to relieve his tension in the shower where Luna wouldn't hear his groans. Two days ago though, she had come running into the loo and caught him jerking off. Neville was dismayed, as he saw that she was upset that he had been left to his own devices. After relieving the pressure on her bladder, she joined him in the shower and knelt before him. Neville weakly started to protest, but as she swallowed him completely all thoughts of conscious speech left him. Luna finished him off and then they spent the rest of the shower snogging and exploring each other's bodies as much as her advanced pregnancy allowed.

Three weeks later

It was two in the afternoon and Neville was at work analyzing samples from a new plant import from Madagascar. The locals called it simply Sticky Flower, but that was an oversimplification of the plant that looked like a strange shaped fern with large purple trumpet shaped flowers that emitted a sticky noxious substance that was used on the island to treat bug stings. The concoction the islanders made included the flower's sap, as well as several other ingredients and no one was sure which exactly produced the best effect on the stings. Neville currently stood at his workstation, carefully extracting the sap from his hair. He had been trying several spells to induce the plant to produce more sap quickly, but the last had backfired. He had finally cleaned all of the sap out of his hair with only minor singeing when something silver grey zoomed into the office and took shape. It was Gran's patronus, a stately heron, that stopped a few feet in front him and immediately began speaking. She was notifying Neville that the Luna was in labor and had just gone to St. Mungo's.

Neville dropped the planter he was holding and immediately left his workstation. His manager came over, obviously upset at the sudden patronus appearance. Producing a patronus within the Ministry was considered very poor manners when more mundane methods of communication were readily available. Neville apologized profusely while he explained the reason. His manager was not a bad sort and immediately began to chuckle at Neville's bumbling as he attempted to gather everything and leave. Wishing Neville well, everyone in the office pushed him out the door and sent him on to St. Mungo's.

Arriving minutes later, Neville rushed to the receptionist and barely managed to mumble something about his wife. Smiling at yet another confused father, the receptionist directed him to the second floor. Once there, Neville found Gran waiting. She pointed him to Luna's room and Neville ran in. Luna was in mid contraction with a healer standing over her and was in so much pain that Neville cried out. Her hair was disheveled and her eyes were red. Distraught, he rushed to her side and began to wipe her face. Soon the healer finished a series of incantations, Luna's pain subsided and she settled down. Seeing how pale Neville looked, the healer summoned a chair and ordered him to sit. Before he complied, he began to bombard the Healer with questions. Why did Luna look so bad? Was that much pain normal? How long would this take? Would it get worse? Laughing, the healer assured him that all was proceeding per normal and that the duration depended entirely on the baby. She suggested that Neville settle down and that he and Luna begin talking to their daughter and urge her to relax and make her way out. The idea of having a discussion with his unborn child was new, but Neville would try anything at this point. He had had no idea just what this would put Luna through. He immediately settled and, while wiping Luna's face with cool water, he put began an earnest discussion with his daughter.

The afternoon passed slowly, but Luna was kept comfortable by the healer who made regular visits to reinstate the spells over her. Finally, shortly before 7pm, Luna gave three large pushes and their daughter arrived. Cassiopeia Luna Longbottom was petite, but loud, with long fingers and a halo of fine translucent blond hair. Neville thought she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. Luna was tired, but her beatific smile enlightened the room. Gran came in to exclaim over her new great-grandaughter and Mr. Lovegood also joined them. He had arrived several hours earlier and had been waiting outside with Gran. The site of the precious new life seemed to enchant him as Luna handed Cassie to her grandfather. As he stood holding her, he looked up at Neville and grinned foolishly. Suddenly Neville knew that all would be well. This beautiful new life that had been unplanned and had caused so much distress had now healed and brought the entire family together.

As Neville looked back, it was hard to believe that not quite a year had passed since the battle. His life was much different than he had ever dreamed or hoped. The future would certainly have its bumps, but on this day, his daughter's birthday, he could see nothing but a beautiful sunrise.


End file.
